This is a 4-way stretch grid mid-weight fleece active layer. I grabbed this material on discount from Seattle Fabrics. This is a surprisingly warm and comfortable material with a lot of stretch.
I’ve worn this snowboarding and shoulder season / early morning hiking and so far I really like it. I’ve also made leggings out of the same stuff and they’re great for winter sports. The shirt is long so it can be comfortably tucked into pants, adding extra heat below the belt.
This grid is more compact and also has a ‘face’ side which means it reflects more wind from the outside while providing a warm interior. This performs slightly differently than a non-elastic, thinner polartech fleece grid that you’d find on a Melenzana hoodie.
If I were to add a hood it would come closer to the typical weight of a melly but I believe it’d be a little warmer. There are downsides, mainly that it carries more water, but that to me is a minimal downside that I can resolve by literally wringing the fabric of excess moisture.
At 9.2oz this is a solid shirt that I can pair with my balaclava to give me complete hooded protection, while being modular and IMO warmer. I’ll be experimenting more with this layer in 2019 and leaving my melly behind.
